Degenkolb masters cobblestones to win stage 9 as Porte crashes out of Tour de France

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John Degenkolb stage 9 tour de france 2018 cobblestones

John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) won a three-man sprint to conclude the action-packed cobblestoned Stage 9 of the Tour de France on Sunday, while overall contender Richie Porte crashed out of the race.

Yellow-jersey holder Greg Van Avermaet crossed second and increased his overall lead to 43 seconds ahead of Geraint Thomas. Yves Lampaert of Quick-Step finished third.

Four-time Tour champion Chris Froome crossed in the main pack, 27 seconds behind, overcoming a tumble with 45 kilometers to go where a fan had to help him get going again.

Porte crashed 10 kilometers into the 156.5-kilometer leg – before any of the 15 cobblestone sections – and abandoned with an apparent right shoulder injury.

Rigoberto Uran, last year’s runner-up, and Mikel Landa, one of three leaders of the Movistar team, also each crashed and lost time.

It was the first career victory at the Tour de France for Degenkolb.

”You start doubting if you can still do it,” Degenkolb said. ”That is the hardest part to don’t lose the trust in yourself and that you can still be up there. I am so happy that my wife and my family gave me the strength to do this to give it 100 percent and work hard. It is amazing.”

Degenkolb became the third rider to win both Paris-Roubaix and a cobbled stage at the Tour after Roger De Vlaeminck and Bernard Hinault.

The route starting in Arras contained the highest number of cobblestone sections since the 1980 Tour, with nearly 22 kilometers altogether.

After the first rest day Monday, the Tour resumes in the Alps on Tuesday with a 158.5-kilometer leg from Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand featuring four serious climbs.

Tour de France 2018 – stage 9 results (Arras Citadelle – Roubaix):

1John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo)

3:24:26

2Greg Van Avermaet (BMC)

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3Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors)

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4Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors)

+19”

5Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe)

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6Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo

,,

7Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors)

,,

8André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal

+27”

9Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data)

,,

10Timothy Dupont (Wanty – Groupe Gobert)

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11Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates)

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12Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin)

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13Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors)

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14Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie)

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15Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic)

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16Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)

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17Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie)

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18Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)

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19Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb)

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20Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo)

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General classification after stage 9:

1Greg Van Avermaet (BMC)

36:07:17

2Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)

+43”

3Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors)

+44”

4Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors)

+50”

5Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)

+01’31”

6Rafal Majka (Bora-hansgrohe)

+01’32”

7Jakob Fuglsang (Astana)

+01’33”

8Chris Froome (Team Sky)

+01’42”

9Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)

,,

10Mikel Landa (Movistar)

,,

11Søren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb)

+01’43”

12Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida)

+01’48”

13Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo)

+01’57”

14Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo)

+01’58”

15Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb)

+02’03”

16Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo)

+02’06”

17Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale)

+02’32”

18Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic)

+02’37”

19Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin)

+02’42”

20Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain-Merida)

+02’48”

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